Prius v Gliding Alternative

Don,t use the energy monitor. The energy monitor doesn't work like it did in the GenII and is not a reliable indicator of gliding anymore. You can either use a Scangaue to check for gliding or just use the HSI gauge. When you have maxed out your pulse lift off the throttle and reapply light pressure to bring the car out of regen until either the bar disappears or the bar is just barely showing in the EV section as illustrated in this video.

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...max-mpg-driving-techniques-youtube-video.html

 

The problem is that Toyota tune-up transit time from regenerative to EV mode so tight that the spot where the "bar disappears" is very hard to achieve.
So Helical is correct, one bar above the bottom line is the best spot we can get, without getting into a safety issue (paying too much attention to the console instead of the road).
So the link to the video you posted does not apply to 'v'.

 

So what you are saying is that the best/most achievable spot to be in for a v glide is one or two bars above the charge (white) box?

 

Yes, that is correct (to simulate gliding).

 

Ok, that makes sense. So then this does not differ from the advice in the video. As stated at time stamp 3:15. Simply take the horizontal HSI indicator on the GenIII and invert it to a vertical position and you have the v HSI indicator.

 

I think you've got it. Either that or you can turn your head sideways! :-0

Good Luck with your car.

A quick question. Is there an instantaneous mpg gauge on the V? Every picture I've ever seen doesn't show it. It's a valuable tool.

 

There is, jsfabb. If you are parked, just cycle through your DISP until you see a --.- MPG.

A better example would be:



Where the 'Avg 3.0 MPG' is, if you hit the 'disp' button a few times, it should show your iMPG. I generally have the ODO on one of the Trips. If you see you the 'A' or 'B' on the Left (Next to the Avg) that would be the Avg MPG based on the trip, when neither 'A' or 'B' are showing, that should be your current 'iMPG'.

 

I drive a Prius III and was wondering, because on my car there is a vertical graduated bar graph that goes up and down according to how good the iMPG are. So your iMPG shows numerically? Those numbers must really fly by when you are in transition. I know that if I'm even cruising on the highway and I let off the accelerator even a little the bar graph shoots up or down if you are accelerating.

How useful is the numerical iMPG?

 

Very useful! The GenIII seems to be the only model that doesn't have it. It is difficult to make minor throttle adjustments without the numerical display. It is also difficult to analyze and diagnose driving situations. The cure is to buy a Scangauge. It works well except for mpg when gliding.

 

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The secret to very high fuel efficiency using
pulse and gliding on a flat road.
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This should work with all Prii

1) low rolling resistance = over inflate the tires by 7psi to 10 psi from their recommended settings on the door jam to reduce the tire's rolling resistances. During the glide part of a P&G cycle your foot is still pulling a small amout of pressure on the accelerator because you don't want to allow the regenerative brakes to go on during a gliding session. Drive when the road is dry and clean. Pick a road with a very smooth road surface - asphalt is the best.

2) Low speed and timing = Dont pulse higher than 45 mph ( because wind resistance starts to significantly reduce a pulse's energy efficiency at higher speed). After a Pulsing cycle let go of the accelerator and then press the accelerator very slightly on to get into your gliding session. If you have atleast six bars on your HV battery level, when the Prius speed drops to about 38 mph you can press the accelerator a bit more to get electrical motors running to extend the glide ( but you want to avoid using the gas engine during a glide phase of this cycle). Allow the glide speed to drop by 10mph to 15 mph before pulsing all over again. A Pulse and Glide cycle should be done on a nearly straight road. Pulsing is not energy efficient during turning. Give yourself about 20% more travel time if you're going to rely on P&G cycles.

3) Distance travelled - the gliding distance of a pulse and glide cycle should be many times longer than the pulsing distance.

4) Fuel efficient jumps up as soon as the outside driving temperature is over 60F degrees and/or trip distances go over 8 miles/35 minutes one way. Only after the gasoline engine fully warms up (>140F) can you get a full P&G cycle/session... most of the time that mean driving the car longer than 20 minutes. Long trips get better MPGs than short trips.

5) During a pulsing phase of a P&G cycle, donot use the electric motors if the HV battery SoC drop below 50% (approx 4 bars) -- use the gas engine instead. You want to avoid automatically triggering the Prius gasoline engine to recharge the HV battery when its SoC drops below 45% (approx 3 bars) because it will cause your MPGs to drop like a rock.


For hilly terrain use Driving with Load (DWL) instead of P&G.


hope this helps

Walter